Application member, application system, and method

Abstract

An application member for applying a product to a surface may comprise a base portion and a plurality of teeth extending from the base portion. Each of the plurality of teeth may be formed of an elastically deformable material and may comprise a free end and an end adjacent to the base portion. At least one of the teeth may further comprise a dispensing orifice at the free end and a passage configured to enable flow communication between the dispensing orifice and a reservoir associated with the application member. The application member may further comprise at least one wall on the base portion. The at least one wall may be located at least partially along a periphery of a region of the base portion from which at least some of the teeth extend and may be configured to collect product flowing from the dispensing orifice of the at least one of the teeth.

1. An application member for applying a product to a surface, the application member comprising:
 a base portion;  
 a plurality of teeth extending from the base portion, each of the plurality of teeth being formed of an elastically deformable material and comprising a free end and an end adjacent to the base portion, at least one of the teeth further comprising 
 a dispensing orifice at the free end, and  
 a passage configured to enable the dispensing orifice to be placed in flow communication with a reservoir configured to contain a product; and  
 
 at least one wall on the base portion, the at least one wall being located at least partially along a periphery of a region of the base portion from which at least some of the teeth extend and being configured to collect product flowing from the dispensing orifice of the at least one of the teeth.  
 
   
   
     2. The application member of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of teeth and the base portion comprise a single piece, unitary construction formed by molding. 
   
   
     3. The application member of  claim 2 , wherein at least some of the plurality of teeth have a frustoconical shape tapering from a larger cross-section adjacent to the base portion to a smaller cross-section adjacent to the free end. 
   
   
     4. The application member of  claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of teeth has a frustoconical shape tapering from a larger cross-section adjacent to the base portion to a smaller cross-section adjacent to the free end. 
   
   
     5. The application member of  claim 1 , wherein a length of each of the plurality of teeth from the base portion to the free end is substantially the same. 
   
   
     6. The application member of  claim 1 , wherein a height of the at least one wall above the base portion varies along its length. 
   
   
     7. The application member of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one wall comprises a free edge defining a first plane, the first plane being inclined with respect to a second plane substantially including a surface of the base portion from which the teeth extend. 
   
   
     8. The application member of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one wall is formed of an elastically deformable material. 
   
   
     9. The application member of  claim 1 , wherein the application member is formed of a material chosen from a natural rubber, a synthetic rubber, a foam, and a thermoplastic elastomer. 
   
   
     10. The application member of  claim 9 , wherein the application member is formed of the foam, and wherein the foam includes polyurethane. 
   
   
     11. The application member of  claim 1 , wherein the elastically deformable material has a Young's flexural modulus of not more than about 200 MPa. 
   
   
     12. The application member of  claim 1 , wherein the elastically deformable material has a Shore A hardness of from about 30 to about 60. 
   
   
     13. The application member of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one wall surrounds the plurality of teeth. 
   
   
     14. The application member of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of teeth extend from a substantially planar surface of the base portion, in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto. 
   
   
     15. The application member of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one wall extends from the substantially planar surface of the base portion, in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto. 
   
   
     16. The application member of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one wall extends from a substantially planar surface of the base portion, in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto. 
   
   
     17. The application member of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one wall and a surface of the base portion form a drip pan to collect product flowing from the dispensing orifice of the at least one of the teeth. 
   
   
     18. An application system comprising:
 the application member of  claim 1 ; and  
 a support having one end intended to be associated with the application member and another end intended to be associated with the reservoir, the support including at least one channel configured to provide product flow from the reservoir to the passage of the at least one of the teeth.  
 
   
   
     19. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the application member is a single piece, unitary construction configured to be removably coupled to the support. 
   
   
     20. A method of applying a product to a portion of a body, the method comprising:
 providing the system of  claim 19 ;  
 coupling the application member and the support together;  
 coupling the support to a reservoir containing a product;  
 placing at least some of the plurality of teeth in contact with a portion of a body; and  
 dispensing the product onto the portion of the body via the dispensing orifice of the at least one of the teeth.  
 
   
   
     21. The method of  claim 20 , further comprising uncoupling the application member and the support, and uncoupling the support and the reservoir. 
   
   
     22. The system of  claim 18 , further comprising the reservoir, wherein the reservoir is configured to be coupled to the support. 
   
   
     23. The system of  claim 22 , wherein the reservoir comprises a body having at least one elastically deformable wall. 
   
   
     24. The system of  claim 22 , wherein the reservoir is configured to provide a handle member. 
   
   
     25. The system of  claim 22 , wherein the reservoir contains a product. 
   
   
     26. The system of  claim 25 , wherein the product is configured to be applied to at least one of the scalp and the hair. 
   
   
     27. The system of  claim 25 , wherein the product includes at least one of dyes for keratin material, shampoos, hair conditioners, and dermatological compositions for at least one of the skin and scalp. 
   
   
     28. A method of applying a product to a portion of a body, the method comprising:
 providing the system of  claim 25 ;  
 placing at least some of the plurality of teeth in contact with a portion of a body; and  
 dispensing the product onto the portion of the body via the dispensing orifice of the at least one of the teeth.  
 
   
   
     29. The method of  claim 28 , wherein the reservoir comprises a body having at least one elastically deformable wall, and wherein the method further comprises deforming the at least one elastically deformable wall to cause the dispensing of the product. 
   
   
     30. The method of  claim 28 , further comprising collecting product along the at least one wall of the application member, and applying the collected product to the portion of the body. 
   
   
     31. The method of  claim 30 , wherein the applying of the collected product comprises applying the collected product with the at least one wall. 
   
   
     32. The method of  claim 28 , wherein the placing comprises deforming at least one of the teeth. 
   
   
     33. The method of  claim 32 , wherein the deforming comprises deforming the at least one of the teeth so that the dispensing orifice dispenses the product in a direction substantially tangential to a surface of the portion of the body. 
   
   
     34. The method of  claim 28 , wherein the placing comprises deforming the at least some of the plurality of teeth to conform to a shape of the portion of the body. 
   
   
     35. The method of  claim 28 , wherein the at least one wall is formed of an elastically deformable material, and wherein the method further comprises deforming the at least one wall by contacting the at least one wall with the portion of the body. 
   
   
     36. The method of  claim 35 , wherein the deforming of the at least one wall comprises deforming the at least one wall to conform to a shape of the portion of the body. 
   
   
     37. The method of  claim 28 , wherein the placing comprises placing at least some of the plurality of teeth in contact with at least one of a scalp, a beard, a moustache, hair, and skin. 
   
   
     38. The system of  claim 22 , wherein a longitudinal axis of at least one of the plurality of teeth is not parallel to a longitudinal axis of the reservoir when the application member, the support, and the reservoir are coupled together. 
   
   
     39. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the support is formed of at least one of a rigid and a semi-rigid material. 
   
   
     40. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the support includes a first tubular portion and a second tubular portion, the first tubular portion being configured to be coupled to the application member, the second tubular portion being configured to be coupled to the reservoir. 
   
   
     41. The system of  claim 40 , wherein the channel is defined by at least a portion of an interior of the first tubular portion. 
   
   
     42. The system of  claim 40 , wherein an outer diameter of the first tubular portion is less than an outer diameter of the second tubular portion. 
   
   
     43. The system of  claim 40 , further comprising a reservoir configured to be coupled to the support and to contain a product, wherein the second tubular portion and the reservoir each include threading, the threading of the second tubular portion and the threading of the reservoir being configured to engage one another to thereby couple the second tubular portion and the reservoir. 
   
   
     44. The system of  claim 40 , wherein the first tubular portion is curved along at least a portion of a length thereof. 
   
   
     45. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the support is curved along at least a portion of a length thereof. 
   
   
     46. The application member of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the teeth further comprises the dispensing orifice and the passage. 
   
   
     47. The application member of  claim 1 , wherein each of the teeth further comprises the dispensing orifice and the passage. 
   
   
     48. An application member for applying a product to a surface, the application member comprising:
 a base portion;  
 a plurality of teeth extending from the base portion, each of the plurality of teeth being formed of an elastically deformable material and comprising a free end and an end adjacent to the base portion, at least one of the teeth further comprising 
 a dispensing orifice at the free end, and  
 a passage configured to enable the dispensing orifice to be placed in flow communication with a reservoir configured to contain a product; and  
 
 at least one wall on the base portion, the at least one wall being located at least partially along a periphery of a region of the base portion from which at least some of the teeth extend and being configured to collect product flowing from the dispensing orifice of the at least one of the teeth, wherein a height of the at least one wall above the base portion is not more than a length of any of the plurality of teeth from the base portion to the free end.  
 
   
   
     49. An application member for applying a product to a surface, the application member comprising:
 a base portion;  
 a plurality of teeth extending from the base portion, each of the plurality of teeth being formed of an elastically deformable material and comprising a free end and an end adjacent to the base portion, at least one of the teeth further comprising 
 a dispensing orifice at the free end, and  
 a passage configured to enable the dispensing orifice to be placed in flow communication with a reservoir configured to contain a product; and  
 
 at least one wall on the base portion, the at least one wall being located at least partially along a periphery of a region of the base portion from which at least some of the teeth extend and being configured to collect product flowing from the dispensing orifice of the at least one of the teeth, wherein a height of at least a portion of the at least one wall above the base portion is substantially the same as a length of at least one of the plurality of teeth from the base portion to the free end.  
 
   
   
     50. The application member of  claim 49 , wherein the length of each of the plurality of teeth is substantially the same, and wherein the at least one wall has a first portion having a height substantially the same as the length of each of the plurality of teeth and a second portion having a height less than the length of each of the plurality of teeth. 
   
   
     51. The application member of  claim 50 , wherein the height of the at least one wall tapers from the first portion to the second portion. 
   
   
     52. A method of applying a product to a portion of a body, the method comprising:
 providing a system comprising 
 the application member of  claim 50 , wherein the first portion and the second portion of the at least one wall are located on substantially opposite sides of the base portion,  
 a support coupled to the application member, the support including at least one channel, and  
 a reservoir containing a product, the reservoir being coupled to the support, the channel enabling flow of the product from the reservoir to the passage;  
 
 placing at least some of the plurality of teeth in contact with the portion of the body;  
 dispensing the product onto the portion of the body via the dispensing orifice of the at least one of the teeth;  
 orienting the application member so that the second portion of the at least one wall of the application member faces toward a predetermined direction; and  
 moving the application member along the, portion of the body in the predetermined direction.  
 
   
   
     53. An application member for applying a product to a surface, the application member comprising:
 a base portion;  
 a plurality of teeth extending from the base portion, each of the plurality of teeth being formed of an elastically deformable material and comprising a free end and an end adjacent to the base portion, at least one of the teeth further comprising 
 a dispensing orifice at the free end, and  
 a passage configured to enable the dispensing orifice to be placed in flow communication with a reservoir containing a product; and  
 
 a wall extending from a surface of the base portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the base portion, the wall surrounding at least some of the plurality of teeth, wherein the wall and the surface of the base portion form a drip pan configured to collect product flowing from the dispensing orifice of the at least one of the teeth.  
 
   
   
     54. The application member of  claim 53 , wherein at least a portion of the wall has a height above the surface of the base portion substantially the same as a height of each of the plurality of teeth above the surface of the base portion. 
   
   
     55. The application member of  claim 53 , wherein the application member is a single piece, unitary construction formed of an elastically deformable material. 
   
   
     56. The application member of  claim 53 , wherein a plurality of the teeth further comprises the dispensing orifice and the passage. 
   
   
     57. The application member of  claim 53 , wherein each of the teeth further comprises the dispensing orifice and the passage.